Final answer:
The use of barriers to prevent contamination includes strict hand hygiene, disinfection of items, use of pre-sterilized equipment, maintenance of a sterile field during medical procedures, protective clothing for staff, and chemical sanitization of surfaces and fomites.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct protocol for using barriers on surfaces and equipment to prevent contamination includes a range of aseptic techniques that are designed to maintain sterility, or asepsis, and prevent the introduction of infectious agents into a patient or a sterile environment. These protocols involve:
- Strict hand hygiene practices, such as washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizers.
- Disinfection of all items coming into contact with potentially infectious materials or isolated patients, like Marisa, to avoid cross-contamination.
- Using pre-sterilized equipment whenever possible, such as pipettes, culture tubes, and glassware in a laboratory setting.
- Ensuring that medical procedures at risk of contamination are carried out within a sterile field, which is a designated area kept free of all microbes.
- Putting on protective clothing like coats, face protection, and gloves when handling contaminated materials, and following proper procedures for decontamination in case of skin contact.
Furthermore, surfaces in environments like hospitals are sanitized using chemical disinfectants, and items such as doorknobs or toys, known as fomites, are cleaned to levels safe for public health. Invasive procedures particularly require higher levels of cleanliness to prevent diseases such as sepsis.